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Alouettes cut coaching staff to comply with new CFL non-player cap

Former Montreal Alouettes defensive-back Billy Parker in his first training camp as a defensive assistant coach at Bishop's University in Lennoxville on May 29, 2017.Photo: John Mahoney

The Canadian Press

Published: December 6, 2018 - 5:55 PM

TORONTO — The Montreal Alouettes cut four coaches on Thursday after the CFL announced that a cap on non-player football operations costs will be implemented for the 2019 season.

The cap is set at just under $2.59 million for 2019 and 2020, and will be reviewed after that.

The Alouettes announced they were not renewing the contracts of defensive backs coach Billy Parker, receivers coach Jason Tucker, assistant offensive line coach Chris Mosley and defensive assistant coach Cris Dishman. Scouts Éric Deslauriers and Russ Lande were also not retained.

Coaches and other football operations staff, including general managers, scouts and equipment and video personnel, fall under the cap. Teams are capped at 11 coaches and 14 other football operations staff.

The league said cap violations can result in a team fine, a personal fine and/or the loss of draft picks.

The fine equals the amount by which the limit has been exceeded up to $100,000. For any amount over $100,000, penalties range from a minimum of a $25,000 fine and the loss of one second-round draft pick to a maximum of a $250,000 fine and the loss of three draft picks.

The league said teams that voluntarily report their violations to the league in 2019 will only be subject to team fines, not personal fines or the loss of draft picks.

The effect of the cap are already being felt. The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced Wednesday that the team and assistant vice president of football operations and player personnel John Murphy were parting ways.

Under the policy, clubs will report quarterly to the CFL and file all football operations contracts with the league. The CFL will audit clubs each year.